Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-02-09
ENCOUNTERING A COBRA.
a CLOSE CALL FROM n VEN
OMOCs MONSTER.

Ite-A Shrlek OF Ierror-Ihe Doomed
Native-Savedb by Scorchtng-The Fa-
tai Rapidly of the Deadly Poison.
From tho CleoslItd Sun.
When one reads Of the great number OF
people who come to their deaths each
year IN India from serpents and wild ami
mails and crOcodiles the figures can
hardly be credited by one who has not
visited that country. India is the para
disc of all that is savage, revengeful, ven
omous and sly, beginning with the thug
and ending with the flea. The climate and
topography Of the country favor the wild
beast more than man. 1t is the natural
home of every species of reptile-Of many
species of carnivOra-Of almost every
poisonous insect which can be named. The
offer of large rewards for the killing of
poisonous eerpents has taken tens of
thousands OF dollars from the Golfers of
the gOVernm mt without decreasing the
number ot deaths by one. The tiger,
leopard, jaguar, panther, and other fierce
creatures have been thinned OIL by the
natural settling or the various provinces,
but one has only to go a few miles from
the railroad lines TO find them to-day as
they were found twenty years ago. 1t
will forever be combat between man and
beast in that country, with the odds In ia =
yOr of the beast.
In making my way from Punjaub to La
hOre, in the days before the railroad, nav
Ing tue company of two American sports
men and British officer, | was bitten on
the cheek by some poisonous insect,
which dashed at me as we were riding in
the shade. 1t struck ike a flash, and was
OF before c0uld raise my hand. Being
new to the country / supposed 1t to be
some insect common to the woods, but il
was scarcely three minutes before be-
gan to suffer great pain, ana IN flYe had
to djsmouut. The natives were agreed
that the bite came from a jungle hornet,
and that / would be a sufferer for some
days. Fortunately for me- we were close
to the outskirts Of n village called Hala-
rad, and when / could no longer stand on
my feet, which wac about seven minutes
after being bitten, | was carried into the
village and native doctor set to work on
me. | was then raging with pain, and
my face was swelled until could not see.
1t was four days before the pain left me,
and ten before | recovered sufficient
strength to ride. In TINS interval oc-
CURED the adventure set out TO relate.
On the fiftu or sixth day after my mis-
fortune hammock was slung for me out
doors under tree, and a native sat at its
roots TO administer TO my wants. He held
the end OF my hammOck-cOrd in his hand,
and once in while gave it pull and
kept me slowly swinging. The village
was scattering one, containing about
200 natives, ana from nay elevated posi-
ton | had a pretty good view around me.
There was a jungle about forty rods
away, while the ground between was COW
cred with rank grass and weeds knee
high. Ia 'front.' Of the hut. to the left of
my tree, sat young woman who was
making some repairs on garment be-
longing to her father. On this morning
most or the men IN the village had gone
of on hunt, and everything was as quiet
as Sunday morning in New England
hamlet.
The balmy air and the motion of the
hammock would have induced sleep had
not slept thirteen hours out OF the pre-
ceding tWenty-lour. l was quiet, but
wakeful. In the course of halt an hour
the hammock ceased 10 move, and saw
that the servant below was fast asleep.
Almost at the same moment | caught a
fash OF something at the edge OF the Jun
gle, and then | noticed movement OF the
grass. l was sportsman enough TO COM
prehend that some animal or reptile was
moving toward me, but | had no enthu-
siasm-nOt even common CURIOSITY |
traced the progress of the unknown crea-
ture by the motion OF the grass, but did
not speculate as to what it was. The
country is Overrun with hares, field rats.
and other small and harmless animals.
and the fact that something was moving
in the grass would not have been consid-
cred by the natives as worth inYestigat-
ing. l was looking at the ground, but
thinking OF matters i'll America, when |
suddenly caught sight of the head Of
monstrous serpent raised above the grass.
The head was held pretty steady tor a few
minutes, and then moved slowly from
right to left and back like the pendulum
OF clock. At this time the reptile was
about 100 feet away, and right at the edge
of the tail grass. Between me ana him
the ground was bare, the grass having
been killed out by the feet of the villag-
erS.
| suppose that there was still sufficien
poison in my system 10 deaden nv sensi-
bilitles TO certain extent. ! mad no fears
for the woman seated with her work be-
low me. This complacency on my part
is to be accounted IOr, as [ said, on the
ground that my nervous system had been
deadened and not yetrecoyered its actlyI-
ty. The serpent presently crawled into
view, and L saw II was cobra Of enOrm-
Gus size. AS soon as the snake was clear
of the grass he raised his head for a closer
survey. The woman and the man were
about the same distance from him, each
beng the side OF triangle. AS | saw
him hesltating about a choice | calmly
reasoned tn at he would come my way.
lie had two victims under tree and only
one the other way. lie was a long min
ute making up his mind, and then he
came creeping toward the tree, head well
up, eyes glazing and tongue darting in
and out.
1t may be that the serpent saw the
sleeping man, but if so be had deter
mined on attacking me alone, perhaps be-
cause L was higher up and offered MIN a
better show. When / realized that he
was certainly coming my way | felt
Jingle OF excitement all through my
nerves, and at once shouted to the sleep
Ing servant. He cast of sleep and sprang
up and Isuppose this action saved me,
for the cobra had already raised It's head
az nigh as the hammOCk. AS the native
sprang up he could have touched the
snake. He saw it before him, uttered a
shrek of terror, and the next instant
was victim. saw the snake strike him
repeatedly IN the face. | think the poor
fellow lost consciousness with the first
attack, for the one scream was all ne
uttered.
The alarm seemed to go all over the
village in moment, and the people at
once FASTENED up with drums, articles of
tinware and whatever would create din.
They also ghOutpd ut the ton of tbair